Honda Motor company is Japanese manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. Honda produces their first motorcycle with two-stroke 98cc engine in 1949. Couple years later they create their first four-stroke engine bike with capacity of 146cc and name it “Dream E”. So far Honda is know for the biggest motorcycle manufacturer in Japan. The founder of the company is Soichiro Honda who has shown his huge interests in automobiles and engines in his early years.
In 1960 Honda began exporting motorcycles for the United States market and managed to sell about 90 000 of their bikes there for the first 3 years. Another interesting fact is that the company produces 10 million motorcycles for their first 19 years after their first one.
The first Gold Wing (GL 1000) is produced in 1974 and is the first four-stroke motorcycle in Japan to be water-cooled. It also had a shaft drive and a fuel which was required because of the lower position of the actual fuel tank under the seat. Later it becomes one of the most famous touring models of Honda and is widely accepted in the United Stated and its production moves from Japan to Ohio.